Light beams or optical signals are frequently used to transmit digital data. For example, optical signals can be used to transmit data over large distances, between electronic components on nearby circuit boards, or between electronic components on a single circuit board. For large scale interconnections between multiple electronic components, an optical fabric can be used. An optical fabric can have a number of characteristics, including the ability to connect any or all of the inputs to any or all of the outputs with a minimal number of components. It can be also desirable for an optical fabric to have high coupling efficiency, the ability to reroute a workload to eliminate system congestion, modularity, high reliability, and low cost.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.